Iran targets Kurdistan Region in regional escalation, spiking gas prices and tensions - analysis

Iran’s attacks on the Kurdistan Region come as the Iraqi prime minister has wrapped up his visit to the US.Follow us on GoogleIranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)BySETH J. FRANTZMANJULY 19, 2026 10:31Iran has spread the conflict in the Middle East to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq over the last several days.The current crisis began with Iran attacking ships in the Gulf on July 6-7. The US then retaliated with eight days of bombing. Iran has now been attacking countries all over the region, including killing two Americans in Jordan in a missile attack. Iran is also striking at the Kurdistan Region.Iran has done this before. It has sought to expand the war to Iraq. The most recent targets have included Iranian opposition groups PAK and Komala.Iran’s attacks on the Kurdistan Region come as the Iraqi prime minister has wrapped up his visit to the US. “Household gas prices across the Kurdistan Region have doubled following the suspension of production at the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province due to security threats linked to ongoing US-Iran tensions and recent drone attacks targeting the Region,” Rudaw media in Erbil noted over the weekend."The price of LPG at fuel stations has reached 800 dinars (around $0.61) per liter," Jangi Majid, head of the Erbil fuel station owners association, told Rudaw's Soran Hussein on Saturday.Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi writes in a book as U.S. President Donald Trump stands behind him at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2026. (credit: IRAQI PRIME MINISTER MEDIA OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)Iran attack on Kurdistan increased in Erbil, SulimaniyehThis is one of the many effects of the Iranian attacks. The challenge comes as the Kurdistan Region has seen some recent success in securing deals in the US.“Kurdish business leaders on Friday announced new partnerships with major American companies during the US-Iraq High-Level Business Summit in Washington, highlighting growing private-sector ties as Baghdad and Washington shift their relationship toward long-term economic cooperation during the high-level visit by the Iraqi government delegation,” Rudaw noted.Iran’s attacks on the Kurdistan Region have now increased in Erbil and Sulimaniyeh. Nine members of the Kurdish Iranian opposition group Komala were killed in an Iranian attack. Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani has condemned the attacks.'Grave and unacceptable violation,' energy company shutdownHe calls them a "grave and unacceptable violation.” He said, "Last night, our nation faced a grave and unacceptable violation of our security and sovereignty. A ballistic missile strike, launched from Iran, targeted our homeland and our heroic security forces.”The PUK is the second largest Kurdish political party in Iraq. KDP, headquartered in Erbil, is the largest.Rudaw added that “Syria’s foreign ministry on Saturday condemned renewed Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting Kurdistan Region and several Arab countries in the region, saying the attacks violated states’ sovereignty and international law, with Kurdish political parties in northeast Syria (Rojava) also voicing their opposition to the strikes.”Nevertheless, the attacks continue, harming the Kurdistan Region in numerous ways.In addition to Khor Mor Gas field going offline, the US energy company HKN Energy “has shut down all operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq due to escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, a company executive told Rudaw on Saturday, despite the firm's recent agreement with the Iraqi government to develop a northern oil field,” Rudaw added.Follow us on Google